Previous work in this laboratory has suggested that, of various potential therapeutic modalities tested, the following yielded therapeutic benefit in promoting recovery of motor function after experimentally induced cord injury in monkeys: reserpine, steroids, and local perfusion at the site of the injured spinal cord with perfusate at normal body temperature (normothermic perfusion) or cold perfusate (hypothermic perfusion). We propose in the present application to further test normothermic perfusion as a therapeutic modality, (using a more rigorous model of cord injury than we have used previously); if the findings indicate that normothermic perfusion is indeed beneficial, we propose to try a new method of percutaneous subarachnoid perfusion by the introduction of a catheter in the lumbar subarachnoid and in the cervical subarachnoid spaces, thereby irrigating the subarachnoid space. If this technique proves effective, it may be applicable to spinal cord injury in humans, paticularly since surgical exposure (laminectomy) at the site of the injured cord would not be necessary.